Sasquatch! Festival 2010: Day 1 Wrap Up and More Photos

Portugal. The Man at the 2010 Sasquatch! Festival (05/29/10)Words and Photos*: Drake LeLane

The 2010 version of the Sasquatch Music Festival was one of finest lineups assembled in recent history, which made for both a thrilling and challenging affair — challenging in picking which acts to see and ultimately which acts “I wish I could see.” There were a lot of conflicts to work around, and though I’d rented a nice zoom lens to get more action from far away, the sold out crowds were there throughout the day, filling up nearly every space on the grounds. As usual, I missed the first acts trying to get in (sorry, Shabazz Palaces). My neighbor provided me with a very special granola bar which I nibbled on throughout the festival. I need the recipe.

Sasquatch Day 1 Wrap Up (May 29,2010)

Mumford & Sons
One of UK’s biggest acts this year turns out to have a lot of fans here (and in Canada… so many Canadians!), and the Bigfoot Solar Stage (goodbye to the Star Wars trademarked Yeti name) might not have been the best place for them to play. That was a theme that quickly formed at the festival — the second stage attracting as many fans as the main, with 1/8 the capacity. For a band that often has the banjo driving the songs, Mumford & Sons provided a lot of hot, sweaty energy. The Middle East joined them onstage for a song, a favor returned a short hour later. I was

Portugal. The Man
This proggish quartet has always been a great live act, and this set only enhanced that reputation. My special ‘treat’ really kicking in, lowering my usual resistance to long jams. I even didn’t care that singer/guitarist John Baldwin Gourley had his back to us for much of the set, such was the force of their epic performance. Or maybe it was my ‘song enhancement snack’ talking.

The Middle East
The Yeti stage this year had a lot fewer shows that held my interest than last year, but that’s probably due more to the second stage being so stellar this year than a lack of talent. It’s a bit difficult stage to play and/or watch, the way its set up, but the Middle East more than held their own, with a little help from buddies Mumford & Sons who joined them near the end of their set.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
If Mumford & Sons was crowded, the Edward Sharpe set was sardine city. The most crowded set that I saw the entire festival. Even with a telephoto lens, most of what I saw was the back of heads, but the act was otherwise perfect for an outdoor festival. The crowd predictably sang along to “40 Day Dream” and “Home,” and the Ice Cream man threw treats into the crowd. I guess Summer is really here.

The Posies
The crowd dispersed quite a bit leading up to The Posies set, which ended up being the sparsest I saw of the festival, which actually made it a normal-sized outdoor festival crowd. Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow previewed several songs from their new album in the works, and played a bunch from Frosting on the Beater. I wasn’t able to stay long enough to hear if they did a tribute to Alex Chilton, their bandmate from Big Star. BSS was calling…

Broken Social Scene
This was the first time I’d seen Broken Social Scene, which is a bit odd considering I’m such a big fan. While the band sounded fine, I had this nagging feeling they would sound much better in a club setting, so I’m not crossing them off my list by any means. By the time the crowd got into “Texaco Bitches,” it had become a convenient way to vent about the BP oil spill, regardless of the song’s origin. Horns from The National and Edward Sharpe joined the band for a song, making it the highlight of the set.

The National
If pressed, I’d have to say The National impressed me the most of anyone in the festival. A slightly intoxicated Matt Berninger was on fire throughout the set, adding a level of ferocity that I’d never heard in the recorded materials. It helped that the lighting was the best that it would be for all of the festival. Might be the most pictures I’ve ever snapped during a performance.

Vampire Weekend
My camera battery died about two songs into the set, thanks to a new lens and a snap-happy previous set. It only took a song, though, for the band to have the crowd eating out of their hand. The most talked about set the next morning at the Sasquatch watercooler.

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Once again, a big thanks to Sr. West Coast Sasquatch! Correspodent Drake LeLane for his review and snapshots. A full set of pictures from Day 1 of the 2010 Sasquatch! Festival after the jump.